COVENTRY still await their first Elite League win of the season after Wolverhampton deservedly took the honours in Monday’s local derby at Monmore Green.
The Buildbase Bees are left with just one point from their first six matches, and promoter Mick Horton admits another team change will probably now be required.
Bees had no answer to the top-end power of Monmore experts Tai Woffinden and Freddie Lindgren, who both eased to unbeaten totals for the home side, and the main bright spots from a Coventry perspective came from Polish duo Michal Szczepaniak and Grzegorz Zengota.
Szczepaniak again proved his worth at reserve with a score of paid-ten, whilst Zengota improved as the night went on and took a well-judged success in Heat 14, and there was also a determined display from the returning Stuart Robson.
But with only four heat wins all night, it was never going to be enough with Wolves taking control of the meeting in Heat 6 when Ty Proctor re-passed Scott Nicholls around the outside to team up with Woffidnen for a big 5-1.
Proctor was at it again in Heat 8 when Robson was going for double-points, passing first Joe Screen and then Robson himself off the final bend to join Jacob Thorssell for another maximum.
When Nicholls went for double in Heat 9, he was beaten by a fast-starting Adam Skornicki, and Wolves put the match to bed with nine points from the next two races, albeit Heat 11 was unfortunate for Krzysztof Kasprzak who suffered engine trouble when in second place.
Aaron Summers recovered from a nightmare evening to at least end on a high with a 5-1 alongside Szczepaniak in Heat 12, and Zengota’s win over Skornicki and Ludvig Lindgren prevented Wolves from racing totally out of sight in the closing stages.
Horton said: “Things have got to turn, and I’m still confident they will turn. There were good performances from Michal and Zengi (Zengota), they were superb, and Robbo had a great debut.
“We’ll look at the averages, and I think we need one more change. I don’t think anybody would disagree with me there, and over the next couple of weeks before the next meeting we’ll be looking.
“The team spirit is really good and the riders are trying their hardest, but it’s just not working. As I’ve said before, it’s a results business and we’ve got to do whatever it takes. We’ve still got time if we make the right change.â€
WOLVERHAMPTON 56: Tai Woffinden 14+1, Freddie Lindgren 12, Adam Skornicki 9+2, Ty Proctor 7+3, Ludvig Lindgren 6, Jacob Thorssell 5+1, Ricky Wells 3. BUILDBASE BEES 36: Michal Szczepaniak 9+1, Grzegorz Zengota 9, Scott Nicholls 6+1, Stuart Robson 6, Krzysztof Kasprzak 4, Aaron Summers 2+1, Joe Screen 0.
WOLVERHAMPTON 56 Tai Woffinden 3 3 3 2* 3 = 14+1 Ty Proctor 1 2* 2* 2* = 7+3 Ricky Wells 3 X 0 0 = 3 Adam Skornicki 2* 2 3 1* 1 = 9+2 Freddie Lindgren 3 3 3 3 = 12 Ludvig Lindgren 2 1 1 2 = 6 Jacob Thorssell 1* 0 3 1 = 5+1
BUILDBASE BEES 36 Krzysztof Kasprzak 0 3 R 1 = 4 Stuart Robson 2 1 1^ 2 = 6 Aaron Summers 0 0 0 2* = 2+1 Grzegorz Zengota 1 2 1 3 2 = 9 Scott Nicholls 1* 1 4^ 0 = 6+1 Michal Szczepaniak 3 2 0 1* 3 0 = 9+1 Joe Screen 0 M 0 0 = 0
